GLAAD - Cleveland Plain Dealerhttp://www.glaad.org/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer
enGLAAD @ Work: Acceptance in faith communities, transgender local coverage, justice for Kristene Chapa, and morehttp://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-work-acceptance-faith-communities-transgender-local-coverage-justice-kristene-chapa-and
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span id="styles-0-0" class="styles file-styles 750px"> <img src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/images/2014-11/glaad%20at%20work%20header.png?itok=QE0Ctw5H" alt="" title="" /></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Wonder what we're up to at GLAAD? Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.glaad.org/newsroom">GLAAD's Newsroom</a> each week for updates about our latest work to build support for LGBT equality through news, entertainment and online media.</p>
<h2><strong>Sarah Kate Ellis speaks about growing acceptance among faith communities </strong></h2>
<p><img height="500" width="750" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" class="media-element file-file-styles-750px" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/images/2014-11/SKE25thMediaAwards.jpg?itok=ne2RkxoQ" alt="" /></p>
<p>GLAAD's President &amp; CEO <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/sarahkateellis">Sarah Kate Ellis</a> spoke with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/theater/duck-dynasty-musical-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> about the Duck-Dynasty-inspired "The Duck Commander Family Musical," and said, "The [Robertson] family has become symbolic of a much larger and somewhat dangerous problem of what we’re seeing in America — this issue of homophobia being masked as a religious value.” Ellis' statement illuminated the growing relationship between religious and LGBT communities. Ellis' statement was picked up by <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/theater/2014/11/13/duck-dynasty-musical-las-vegas/18970261/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> and many other national and LGBT outlets.<br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: left;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/Tiq%20Milan%20Cropped.jpg?itok=kagogCXn" alt="" />Tiq Milan honored at Hispanic Black Gay Coalition Gala</strong><br />GLAAD's Senior Strategist <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/tiqmilan">Tiq Milan</a> was honored at the <a href="http://www.hbgc-boston.org/" target="_blank">Hispanic Black Gay Coalition's (HBGC)</a> fifth <a href="http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2014/10/28/hbgc-honor-national-lgbtq-advocates-local-organization-5th-annual-gala/">annual gala</a>, which honors individuals working to empower LGBT communities of color. The HBGC serves as a grassroots response to the lack of visibility, resources, and services for Black, Hispanic, and Latin LGBT individuals in the Greater Boston area. Milan received HBGC’s Audre Lorde Founder’s Award, which is dedicated to an up-and-coming advocate who has taken initiative to create change in LGBT communities of color.<br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: right;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/Kristene%20Chapa1%20Cropped.jpg?itok=tDn0qZeF" alt="" />GLAAD brings media to support Kristene Chapa</strong><br />GLAAD worked with organizers of a rally in Texas that <a href="http://www.glaad.org/justice4krisandmollie" target="_blank">offered support for Kristene Chapa and Mollie Olgin</a>, a female couple who were both shot in the head in 2012 in Portland, Texas. Local and national media joined people at the rally to see Kristene appear and speak at the rally while the pre-trial hearing was held for Kristene and Mollie's attacker. The rally raised funds for Chapa's medical expenses and shed light on this crime against an LGBT woman of color. <br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: left;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/dealer1.jpg?itok=y1zkqmmA" alt="" />GLAAD's trans advocacy in local journalism</strong><br />GLAAD's Senior Strategist <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/daniheffernan">Dani Heffernan</a> worked with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a newspaper which recently published inaccurate, transphobic coverage of proposed trans-inclusive legislation. <a href="http://www.advocate.com/politics/media/2014/11/11/cleveland-plain-dealer-headline-stokes-transphobic-fears">The Advocate</a> cited GLAAD's ongoing work to improve the local paper's reporting practices regarding the trans community. "<a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-admits-ignorance-trans-issues" target="_blank">GLAAD joined local advocates</a> in calling on the newspaper to use [a previous] incident as a 'teaching moment.' The group first initiated conversations with both an editor and that reader representative at <em>The Plain Dealer<em>, </em></em>and then encouraged the newspaper’s staff to meet with a local LGBT group’s transgender advocate," wrote the outlet. GLAAD also met last year with the staffs of <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/update-new-york-times-meets-glaad-trans-community-address-coverage-trans-lives" target="_blank"><em>The New York Times</em> </a> and the <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-trans-advocates-meet-la-times-address-trans-coverage" target="_blank"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a>.</p>
<p><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: right;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/venezuela%20Cropped.jpg?itok=4lS1rE53" alt="" />LGBT inclusion in Venezuela</strong><br />GLAAD's Director of Spanish-Language and Latino Media <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/monicatrasandes">Monica Trasandes</a> was interviewed for the radio station, Radio Reflejos, in Venezuela. The company has become advocates with whom GLAAD has recently started working as part of our Global Voices work. Trasandes talked about GLAAD's work to ensure media inclusion. She also shared what she's learned from advocates in other countries in Central and Latin America. Advocates in Latin America look at GLAAD's model as an important one to help guide their own media advocacy efforts. <br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: left;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/texas%20flag%20Cropped.jpg?itok=5mS-y6bi" alt="" />Texas gets lesson on covering LGBT issues</strong><br />GLAAD's Spanish-Language and Latino Media Strategist <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/janetquezada">Janet Quezada</a> spoke with English and Spanish-language media in San Antonio and Houston, Texas about how to fairly and accurately cover LGBT issues. She met with Telemundo and Univision, as well as with the Houston police department. Quezada worked closely with Equality Texas, a non-profit organization that lobbies the Texas legislature on LGBT issues, and other advocates to implement accurate coverage of the LGBT community in Texas.<br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: right;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/oregon%20Cropped.jpg?itok=grgIykGO" alt="" />Oregon's local media learns how to cover transgender issues</strong><br />GLAAD's Senior Strategist <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/daniheffernan">Dani Heffernan</a> worked with Basic Rights Oregon, a non-profit organization that advocates for the LGBT community in Oregon. Heffernan led her second informational webinar for local media in Oregon on respectful news coverage of transgender-related stories. The webinar covered respectful terminology, stereotypes to avoid, and brought attention to issues facing the transgender community in Oregon. This training will help ensure that Oregonians see fair and accurate stories of transgender people in their state.<br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: left;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/TV%20Cropped.jpg?itok=PiagZpNl" alt="" />GLAAD explains the annual TV report and what it means for the LGBT community </strong><br />GLAAD's Director of Entertainment Media <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/mattkane">Matt Kane</a> was interviewed by The Frame on LA's NPR affiliate KPCC. Host Jon Horn talked to Kane about GLAAD's most recent television reports and the meaning behind the numbers, highlights from the new TV season, and how LGBT representation on television has improved over the last decade. "I think these numbers are really important to look at, especially compared to where they were five [or] 10 years ago. This gradual increase we've seen is really indicative of the general public's greater acceptance and increased understanding of the LGBT community," Kane said. <a href="http://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2014/11/12/40301/glaad-media-study-we-ve-made-incredible-gains-over/">Listen to the interview here.</a><br /><br /><strong><img height="220" width="220" style="float: right;" class="media-element file-file-styles-medium" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/images/2014-11/winning%20marriage%20book%20Cropped.jpg?itok=HHAvQNKF" alt="" />GLAAD highlights new book on marriage equality</strong><br />GLAAD's Video &amp; News Strategist, <a href="http://www.glaad.org/about/staff/clairepires">Claire Pires</a>, interviewed Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom To Marry, an organization which advocates for marriage equality. The interview was for GLAAD's video series, <a href="http://www.glaad.org/allaccess">GLAAD: All Access</a>, which features interviews with newsmakers, hit-makers, and people making a difference. Solomon talked about his new book, <em>Winning Marriage: The Inside Story of How Same-Sex Couples Took on the Politicians and Pundits - and Won</em>, which gives readers an inside look into the campaign for marriage equality. The book clarifies the roots of the marriage equality movement and how it got to its present state. Pires and Solomon discussed the need for marriage equality in every state as another step towards equality for the LGBT community. <a href="http://www.glaad.org/video/all-access-freedom-marrys-marc-solomon-talks-marriage-equality-new-book">Watch the interview here.</a></p>
<p>To get the latest updates and take part in GLAAD’s work to build support for LGBT equality, be sure to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/glaad" target="_blank">‘like’ us on Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/glaad" target="_blank">follow us on Twitter</a>!</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">November 19, 2014</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/entertainment">Entertainment</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/film">Film</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/television">Television</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/news">News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/local-and-regional-news">Local and Regional News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/people-color">People of Color</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/religion-and-faith">Religion and Faith</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/southern-stories">Southern Stories</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/spanish-language-and-latino">Spanish-Language and Latino</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/sarah-kate-ellis">Sarah Kate Ellis</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/hispanic-black-gay-coalition-gala">Hispanic Black Gay Coalition Gala</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/kristene-chapa">Kristene Chapa</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/justice4krisandmollie">#justice4KrisandMollie</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/equality-texas">Equality Texas</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/global-voices">Global Voices</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/radio-reflejos">Radio Reflejos</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/telemundo">Telemundo</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/univision">Univision</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/basic-rights-oregon">Basic Rights Oregon</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/frame">The Frame</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/npr">NPR</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/kpcc">KPCC</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/marc-solomon">Marc Solomon</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/freedom-marry">Freedom to Marry</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/winning-marriage-inside-store-how-same-sex-couples-took-politicians-and-pundits-and-won">Winning Marriage: The Inside Store of How Same-Sex Couples Took on the Politicians and Pundits - and Won</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/winning-marriage">Winning Marriage</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/out">OUT</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/out-100">OUT 100</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/glaad-all-access">GLAAD All Access</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/glaad-work-0">GLAAD @ Work</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/southern-stories">Southern Stories</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:06:09 +0000cpires72835 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-work-acceptance-faith-communities-transgender-local-coverage-justice-kristene-chapa-and#commentsGLAAD joins Ohio LGBT advocates to encourage Cleveland Plain Dealer coverage of Transgender Day of Remembrancehttp://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-joins-ohio-lgbt-advocates-encourage-cleveland-plain-dealer-coverage-transgender-day
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span id="styles-1-0" class="styles file-styles 750px"> <img id="1" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/68458_10152072071578840_1603666340_n.png?itok=wzEUm3Sc" alt="" title="" /></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>GLAAD joined a coalition of Ohio and nation-wide transgender in an <a href="http://www.equalityohio.org/index.php/news/whats-the-t/219-letter-to-cleveland-plain-dealer">open letter addressed to the Cleveland Plain Dealer</a> regarding their coverage of violence against transgender people and the upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance. </p>
<p>The Plain Dealer, you may remember, earlier this year <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-and-local-advocates-addressing-horrific-coverage-transgender-murder-victim">completely botched reporting on the murder of CeCe Acoff</a>. The Plain Dealer wrote two highly problematic stories, titled "<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/04/brutal_slaying_marks_the_end_o.html">Brutal slaying marks the end of Cleveland man's fight for acceptan</a>ce" and "<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/04/body_of_oddly_dressed_man_foun.html">Oddly dressed body found in Olmsted Township pond identified</a>" (The latter had been originally titled "Oddly dressed man found in Olmsted Township pond identified"). The Plain Dealer then issued a follow-up column that defended the paper's coverage, and complained that the Associated Press' guidelines to use the person's correct name and pronouns was "perplexing."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/local-cleveland-lgbt-adovacy-group-meets-cleveland-plain-dealer-discuss-anti-trans-reporting">LGBT community leaders met with the leadership of the Plain Dealer</a> to address its coverage of Acoff.</p>
<p>Now, transgender and LGBT advocates are using this instance as a teachable moment. The letter requests that the Plain Dealer cover the <a href="http://www.glaad.org/tdor">Transgender Day of Remembrance</a>. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. It was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that year and began an important memorial that has become the annual Transgender Day of Rememberance.</p>
<p>The week before TDOR is <a href="http://www.glaad.org/transawarenessweek">Transgender Awareness Week</a>, a time for transgender people and their allies, to take action and bring attention to this community by educating the public and advancing advocacy around the issues that transgender people face.</p>
<p>Advocates are requesting the Plain Dealer to cover TDOR, both before it occurs, as well as coverage of the Cleveland vigil, which will be held on November 22.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.equalityohio.org/index.php/news/whats-the-t/219-letter-to-cleveland-plain-dealer">Full text of the letter</a> is below:</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>To the Editor and Staff of The Plain Dealer:</strong></p>
<p>As citizens of Northeast Ohio we are concerned about our city’s image at the local, statewide, national and international levels. We want Cleveland to be recognized as a diverse, inclusive, and respectful community. We know you share these values with us. However, your organization failed to live these values in the April 29th article covering the murder of CeCe Acoff.</p>
<p>We understand the difficulty of gathering information on the life of a murder victim in the days following such a discovery. We appreciate your willingness to remedy those mistakes. However, The Plain Dealer’s published “correction” was derogatory and disparaging of CeCe. It left many in our community deeply offended. CeCe was Transgender. Continuing to refer to her as male in those articles was demeaning and hurtful to those who loved her.</p>
<p>After the much-maligned series of transphobic, insensitive and misleading articles published by The Plain Dealer, the October 29th article announcing the trial of CeCe’s accused murderer, Andrey Bridges, was truly a breath of fresh air. We applaud your decision to follow the court’s lead and respect the deceased’s right to be referenced by her preferred name and gender.</p>
<p>We believe that right now, in Cleveland, this continues to be a teachable moment. We have the opportunity to educate our neighbors, law enforcement officials, and the general public on the central issue: “Who are Transgender people?” Working with Equality Ohio, local LGBT community leaders Phyllis Harris of the Cleveland LGBT Community Center and Jacob Nash of Margie’s Hope met with members of The Plain Dealer editorial board in May. This was an important starting point for discussion.</p>
<p>We are now approaching a significant event within our community. We want to further clarify what it is like to live as a Transgender person. And we need your help. We have three requests of The Plain Dealer as follows:</p>
<ul><li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">inform the public of the Transgender Day of Remembrance prior to its occurrence;</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">cover the Transgender Day of Remembrance; and</li>
<li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">publish an article on the Transgender Day of Remembrance after the event.</li>
</ul><p>These are simple requests to fulfill and can be met with both print and online coverage.</p>
<p>We are pleased to see that some of the Plain Dealer journalists reference LGBT community leaders as they research and compose articles covering Transgender and allied communities. We encourage more journalists to make efforts to reflect our community with honesty and respect. The upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance event offers an opportunity to do exactly that. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual event commemorated worldwide to remember those Transgender individuals who have been killed because of who they were. Coverage of the event by The Plain Dealer will provide a clearer view of the community response to violent acts perpetrated against Transgender people.</p>
<p>This year’s event is scheduled for November 22nd and will be held at Huntington Park at Lakeside Avenue and West 3rd St, beginning at 5:30pm. We would like to see notice of the event on or before November 18th with a follow up article during the weekend of November 23rd. We ask for your help in getting our message out to the larger community so that they may know that we are their friends, their family, their parents, their sisters and brothers.</p>
<p>We are looking forward to working with The Plain Dealer on these projects. We ask that a representative contact Jacob Nash (330-240-1600) no later than Monday, November 11th to gather information for the story about the Transgender Day of Remembrance.</p>
<p>On behalf of concerned members and allies of the LGBT community,</p>
<p>Mark Szabo, Navy and Army veteran<br /> Cecilia Kasten, TransCleveland founder<br /> Adam Tokar, TransCleveland founder<br /> Zoë Lapin <br /> Sean Martin, Community Ally<br /> Ari Grubaugh, Trans*Mission Co-President<br /> Rashida Davison, Equality Ohio <br /> Cherno Biko, TransOhio Board Member<br /> Jacob Nash, The Cleveland Transgender Community Outreach Committee<br /> Elyzabeth Holford, Equality Ohio Executive Director<br /> Stacey Orms Parsons, 2013 Recipient of Transgender Leadership Award<br /> Monica Roberts, TransGriot Founding Editor and Advocate<br /> Phyllis Harris, The LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland Executive Director <br /> Shane Morgan, TransOhio Founder and Chair <br /> Andrew Lewandowski, TransOhio Board Member <br /> Ross Murray, GLAAD Director of News<br /> Masen Davis, Transgender Law Center Executive Director<br /> Morgan Bonney, Get Equal Ohio Co-state lead<br /> Heather Cronk, Get Equal National Co-director<br /> Mason Dunn, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition Executive Director</p>
</blockquote>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">November 12, 2013</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/news">News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/local-and-regional-news">Local and Regional News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/family">Family</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/people-color">People of Color</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/tdor-0">TDOR</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/transgender-day-remembrance">Transgender Day of Remembrance</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cece-acoff">CeCe Acoff</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Thu, 07 Nov 2013 16:37:41 +0000rossmurray68915 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-joins-ohio-lgbt-advocates-encourage-cleveland-plain-dealer-coverage-transgender-day#commentsLocal Cleveland LGBT adovacy group meets with Cleveland Plain Dealer to discuss Anti-Trans reporting habitshttp://www.glaad.org/blog/local-cleveland-lgbt-adovacy-group-meets-cleveland-plain-dealer-discuss-anti-trans-reporting
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span id="styles-2-0" class="styles file-styles 750px"> <img id="2" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/750px/public/plain%20dealer.jpg?itok=At3CEljj" alt="" title="" /></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>On May 22<sup>nd</sup>, Jacob Nash of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margies-Hope/337276689630206?sk=info">Margie's Hope</a> and Cleveland Transgender Community Outreach Committee met with faculty of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to increase the paper's awareness of and sensitivity around the issues that concern the transgender community.</p>
<p>Recently the Plain Dealer fell under extreme scrutiny from LGBT organizations and advocacy groups for its <a href="http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/05/yall-must-think-were-stupid-cleveland.html">disrespectful and dehumanizing reporting</a> of the murder of <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/cemia-acoff-transgender-murder-victim-gets-best-reporting-and-representation-gay-and-trans">Cemia Acoff</a>. Cemia was found in a Cleveland pond after being reported missing for little over a month.</p>
<p>Following outreach from GLAAD and local advocacy organizations, Nash met with over 20 Plain Dealer faculty, interns, column writers, reporters and <img class="media-image" height="214" id="2" style="margin: 5px; width: 250px; height: 214px; float: right;;;" width="250" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/cemia%20acoff_5.jpg?itok=UvMKUXq4" alt="" />executives in what is typically a busy newsroom environment to discuss the effects of their reporting techniques on the transgender community, and more specifically, victims of crime. This meeting was similar to the ones GLAAD arranged recently with the <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/update-new-york-times-meets-glaad-trans-community-address-coverage-trans-lives">New York Times</a> and <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/trans-community-delivers-petition-los-angeles-times-paper-agrees-meeting-about-trans-coverage">Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>During the meeting, Jacob says he discussed pronoun issues, available resources for proper reporting on Trans issues, and the importance of proper context. Jacob says the resources he gave on proper reporting were received well, and that overall, he was left feeling more confident about the paper's ability to cover trans issues responsibly, even though one of the meeting's attendees did show some resistance.</p>
<p>"I think so…I hope so, I think that one editor is just one out of 20. If we reached the rest of the people in the room, then most are going to be supportive. I can't say 100 percent they will change their reporting but I am hopeful they will. It was a really good exchange, we had a good dialogue about transgender issues, about our concerns and their concerns, they asked good questions. I was blunt and honest about my personal life and how bad reporting really affects transgender persons."</p>
<p>Since initially reporting on Cemia, the Cleveland Plain Dealer changed its reports to reflect the proper pronoun usage. Although the overall tone of the articles was still less than ideal due to the choice of contextual information (focusing on her run-ins with the law, as opposed to the discrimination that trans people face every day) Cemia was represented as a Trans woman and not a soulless individual.</p>
<p>For proper reporting on transgender issues, visit GLAAD's transgender resource page: <a href="http://www.glaad.org/www.glaad.org/transgender">www.glaad.org/transgender</a></p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">June 6, 2013</span></div></div></div>
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<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
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<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/news">News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/local-and-regional-news">Local and Regional News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/people-color">People of Color</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/young-adult">Young Adult</a></li>
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<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cemia-acoff">Cemia Acoff</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/transgender-0">transgender</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/people-color">people of color</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/trans-woman-color">Trans woman of color</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/anti-trans">Anti-Trans</a></li>
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Tue, 04 Jun 2013 21:37:10 +0000marihaywood66320 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/local-cleveland-lgbt-adovacy-group-meets-cleveland-plain-dealer-discuss-anti-trans-reporting#commentsCleveland Plain Dealer admits ignorance on trans issues http://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-admits-ignorance-trans-issues
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><img class="media-image" id="2" style="float: left;;;;;;" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/diadiun.JPG?itok=022FaPCm" alt="" />Cleveland Plain Dealer Reader Representative Ted Diadiun <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/readers/index.ssf/2013/05/story_of_olmsted_towhship_homi.html#incart_river">wrote a column this week</a> talking about the controversy that erupted <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-and-local-advocates-addressing-horrific-coverage-transgender-murder-victim">over the paper's disrespectful mis-handling</a> of a story that involves a transgender woman.</p>
<p>Diadiun's column indicates that at least the paper now recognizes that this is an issue they had been previously ignorant of. However, while not as egregiously, he made a lot of the same mistakes as the <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/04/brutal_slaying_marks_the_end_o.html">original writer did</a> in his two pieces.</p>
<p>He describes Cemia Acoff as "a transgender person (in this case, a person who was born one sex but identified as the other)" and refers to her consistently either using male pronouns but attributing them to the original writer, or just by last name. Diadiun never once refers to Cemia correctly - as female.</p>
<p>I spoke with Ted Diadiun for about a half hour last week, and it was a very good conversation. I shared with him <a href="http://www.glaad.org/publications/transgendervictimsofcrime">our guide for reporting on transgender victims of crime</a> and talked about the role of the media in educating people about the trans community, as well as how to handle pronoun issues. By the end of our conversation, he had begun referring to Cemia as "she." But that didn't make it into the piece, apparently. Even a tiny gesture of respect like that can make a world of difference to a community that is so marginalized.</p>
<p><img class="media-image" id="2" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;;;;;;" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/417883_10201081316215325_910584137_n%255B1%255D_0.jpg?itok=Q6rUSlpQ" alt="" />In his column, Diadiun talks about the AP Stylebook, which at one point told journalists to only use the correct pronouns for transgender people if those people had undergone, or were undergoing, gender confirming surgery. AP Style now tells journalists to use whichever pronouns match the way a person lives - or lived, in the case of murder victims like Cemia.</p>
<p>Diadiun says:</p>
<blockquote><p>"The AP style change is understandable, but perplexing."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That sentence needs two more words tacked on at the end.</p>
<p>"… to us."</p>
<p>It is not at all perplexing to anyone who has even the most basic level of knowledge about the transgender community. Transgender people – particularly women of color, like Cemia – frequently do not have access to the often vast resources needed to undergo gender confirming surgery, or acquire medically-supervised hormone treatments.</p>
<p>Editor Chris Quinn, with whom I was in touch with throughout last week, told Diadiun:</p>
<blockquote><p>"Where do we draw the line? What's a cop to do when filling out the gender form of a police report? What's a census taker to write? What about a driver's license?"</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here's what I want Chris, Ted, and everyone else at the Plain Dealer to ask themselves, and really spend a fair amount of time thinking about.</p>
<p><em>Why does that line need to be drawn at all?</em></p>
<p>Why shouldn't we respect a person's gender identity in all aspects of their life?</p>
<p>Why should cops be exempt from having to respect a person's gender identity? Why should census takers? Why should the DMV?</p>
<p>What, exactly, do we as a society gain when we reject and refuse to recognize a person's gender identity in any of these areas? The census counts men and women; it doesn't count medical histories. Men and women get the exact same driver's license, with the exact same rules and restrictions applied. As for law enforcement?</p>
<p>Well, here are some stats.</p>
<p><a href="http://transequality.org/PDFs/Executive_Summary.pdf">According to the National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay &amp; Lesbian Task Force's landmark <em>Injustice at Every Turn</em> study</a>, 60% of black transgender people report having been harassed, physically assaulted, or sexually assaulted by police. Nearly half of all transgender people (46%) say they are uncomfortable asking police for help.</p>
<p>I've talked with both Chris and Ted enough to know that they wouldn't consider that a good thing. But they also might not be aware that that's what happens when we "draw the line" and law enforcement is not on the right side of it.</p>
<p>This is the kind of information that comes from dialogue, <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-meet-local-trans-advocates-after-glaad-outreach">which the paper is now actively engaging in</a>.</p>
<p><img class="media-image" height="135" id="2" style="height: 135px; width: 180px; float: left;;;;;;" width="180" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/PlainDealerlogo.jpg?itok=SGK5lKmi" alt="" /></p>
<p>I hope that the Plain Dealer is on the right track. They're going to meet with trans advocates in Cleveland. They're going to listen to their stories, and hear their voices, and maybe for the first time in their lives, they'll be able to actually associate a human being, with whom they've shaken hands and dialogued, with the idea of being transgender.</p>
<p>Diadun begins his piece with a Don Henley quote:</p>
<blockquote><p>"The more I know, the less I understand,"</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Knowledge is always the first step towards understanding. It can be a scary one to take, particularly for people who don't have a transgender friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker. </p>
<p>That's why it is so important that the Plain Dealer get this right. Once they start respecting the gender identities of trans people, their readership will learn to do the same.</p>
<p>Back to you, Chris and Ted - if "the line" were further out, and journalists were still comfortably on the wrong side of it, what exactly would you gain? Maybe you could still run on autopilot for these stories. Maybe you wouldn't have to think about things like terminology and sensitivity. But I can tell you what the trans community would lose.</p>
<p>Dignity.</p>
<p>Whether intentional or not (and I fully believe the Plain Dealer staff when they say it was not) Cemia Acoff was robbed of that dignity by the way her death was reported on.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">May 6, 2013</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/news">News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/local-and-regional-news">Local and Regional News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cemia-acoff">Cemia Acoff</a></li>
</ul>
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Mon, 06 May 2013 20:10:35 +0000aaronmcquade65709 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-admits-ignorance-trans-issues#commentsCleveland Plain Dealer to meet with local trans advocates after GLAAD outreachhttp://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-meet-local-trans-advocates-after-glaad-outreach
<div class="field field-name-field-blog-featured field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><img class="media-image" height="284" id="2" style="height: 284px; width: 425px;;;;;;;" width="425" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Cemia%20Acoff.jpg?itok=nL7eOib_" alt="" /></p>
<p>Following <a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2013/05/cleveland-plain-dealer-dehumanizes-horrific-murder-of-trans-woman.html">a series of stories</a> that mis-gendered and dehumanized a transgender murder victim in Cleveland, the Plain Dealer newspaper has agreed to meet with local transgender advocates.</p>
<p>Yesterday GLAAD was in touch with the paper throughout the day, as well as <a href="http://www.equalityohio.org/">Equality Ohio</a>, <a href="http://www.transohio.org/wordpress/">TransOhio</a> and <a href="http://equalityohio.org/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=188">Cleveland's LGBT Community Center</a> to address the coverage of Cemia Acoff, who was found dead earlier this month.</p>
<p><img class="media-image" height="191" id="2" style="height: 191px; width: 150px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;;;;;;" width="150" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Cemia_0.JPG?itok=tP1g1-nH" alt="" />The Plain Dealer was the source of two highly problematic stories, titled "<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/04/brutal_slaying_marks_the_end_o.html">Brutal slaying marks the end of Cleveland man's fight for acceptan</a>ce" and "<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/04/body_of_oddly_dressed_man_foun.html">Oddly dressed body found in Olmsted Township pond identified</a>" (The latter had been previously said "Oddly dressed man.")</p>
<p>The paper addressed the mis-gendering by removing pronouns altogether, and removed some of the more sensationalized aspects of the pieces.</p>
<p>The Cleveland Plain Dealer will meet with local transgender advocates and community members to better understand the sensitivity that was missing from its reporting, the way both the <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/update-new-york-times-meets-glaad-trans-community-address-coverage-trans-lives">New York Times</a> and <a href="http://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-trans-advocates-meet-la-times-address-trans-coverage">Los Angeles Times</a> did following similarly insensitive stories.</p>
<p><img class="media-image" height="200" id="2" style="height: 200px; width: 160px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;;;;;;;" width="160" src="http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Lanigan%20and%20Malone.JPG?itok=BreRuuZq" alt="" />The Plain Dealer is not the only source of insensitive coverage. We have heard reports that one of the hosts of "Lanigan and Malone" on radio station <a href="http://www.wjmi.com/">WMJI</a><a href="http://www.wmji.com/pages/lanandmalone.html"> </a>made a joke about Ce Ce's murder, saying (during a segment on a new line of bras for men) "Well, the next time I find myself in a pond in Olmstead Township..."</p>
<p>This is completely unacceptable, and we are reaching out to the station to demand that action be taken.</p>
<p>Thank you to all of you who have alerted us to these incidents either by <a href="http://www.glaad.org/reportdefamation">reporting through our website</a> or on social media. Please continue to do so if you see any future coverage with similar issues.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/100575020146982/">Information about a vigil taking place in Cleveland in remembrance of Cemia here.</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pubdate field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">May 1, 2013</span></div></div></div>
<div class="field field-name-field-issues field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix clearfix">
<div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div>
<ul class="field-items">
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/news">News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/issues/local-and-regional-news">Local and Regional News</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/issues/transgender">Transgender</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div>
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<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cemia-acoff">Cemia Acoff</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cleveland-plain-dealer">Cleveland Plain Dealer</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/equality-ohio">Equality Ohio</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/transohio">TransOhio</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/cleveland">Cleveland</a>, </li>
<li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/wmji">WMJI</a></li>
</ul>
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Wed, 01 May 2013 16:54:26 +0000aaronmcquade65627 at http://www.glaad.orghttp://www.glaad.org/blog/cleveland-plain-dealer-meet-local-trans-advocates-after-glaad-outreach#comments